As anyone who holds a “non-supervisory” job in America’s double-adjusted “recovery” is acutely aware, wage growth is missing in action in the US.

Your boss may have gotten a raise, but you probably didn’t and if the number of multiple job holders is any indication, America’s rapid transformation from middle class utopia to feudal system is likely to continue unabated for the foreseeable future.

Of course it’s not just Americans who are forced to deal with economic realities like the soaring cost of housing on wages that never rise.

There’s the Japanese for instance, who have discovered that all of Abe’s “arrows” have failed to hit their mark.

And then there’s ISIS, whose cash flow has been constrained thanks to hundreds of airstrikes against its oil infrastructure carried out by a determined Vladimir Putin.

According to a translation of a document posted by Middle East Forum research fellow Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Islamic State just cut its fighters’ pay in half citing “exceptional circumstances.” The original document and full translation is below.

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Lowering of salaries for fighters by 50%

Islamic State

Bayt Mal al-Muslimeen

Wilayat al-Raqqa

Decision no.: n/a

Month of Safr 1437 AH [c. November-December 2015]

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

God Almighty has said: “Go forth, lightly or heavily armed. And wage jihad with your wealth and souls in the path of God. That is best for you if you know” (al-Tawba 41) [Qur’an 9:41]. And on the authority of Anas (may God be pleased with him): that the Prophet (SAWS) said: “Wage jihad against the mushrikeen with your wealth, souls & tongues”- Musnad Ahmad: Musnad Anas Malek (11798).

Jihad of wealth has been mentioned with jihad of soul in the Qur’an in ten cases, and in nine of those cases jihad of wealth has been presented beforehand over jihad of the soul, and only in one case has jihad of the soul been presented beforehand over jihad of wealth. And on the authority of Omar bin al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him): “The Messenger of God (SAWS) ordered us to give charity and that coincided with the time I had some wealth. So I said: ‘Today I will outdo Abu Bakr, if ever I have outdone him.’ So I came with half of my wealth, and so the Messenger of God (SAWS) said: ‘What have you left for your family?’ I said: ‘The same amount.’ And Abu Bakr came with all he had, so he said: ‘Oh Abu Bakr, what have you left for your family?’ He said: ‘I have left for them God and His Messenger.’ I said: ‘By God, I can never outdo him in anything.'” (muttafiq alayhi).

So on account of the exceptional circumstances the Islamic State is facing, it has been decided to reduce the salaries that are paid to all mujahideen by half, and it is not allowed for anyone to be exempted from this decision, whatever his position. Let it be known that work will continue to distribute provisions twice every month as usual.

And God is the guarantor of success.

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It’s curious that no “salary” cuts were necessary during the 14 months the US spent “degrading and destroying” the group but are suddenly needed just three months into Russia’s bombing campaign.